Summary
Ah, December; a month equally cozy as it is busy. No game knows this better thanAnimal Crossing: New Horizons. Even though it may have been a while since some players have visited their islands, December brings many reasons to check in on their villagers.
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As long as the Snowboys are kept happy with their appearance, players can enjoy finding many itemsduring the holiday season. With plenty of festive events and activities,Animal Crossingcontinues to make the most wonderful time of year a bit more wonderful.
10Throw A Festive Holiday Party
A Great Way To Celebrate With Real-World Friends
The holidays are an exciting time to reconnect with friends, and what better way than to throw a party on a snowy island? For those who goall out with island decorating, having real-life friends visit virtually is a great way to create a unique, personalized holiday experience.New Horizons' online play allows up to eight players to visit a single island at a time, making it possible to host a gathering for any holiday.
For those who don’t have friends who playAnimal Crossing, Harv’s Island’s photo studio allows villagers to be invited to take a festive photo instead.
9Collect Snowflakes And Craft Snow DIY Recipes
Winter Is Perfect For An Ice-Themed Island
For players who live in the Northern Hemisphere, December 11th marks the first day of snowfall. Like the maple leaves and cherry blossoms in autumn and spring, falling snowflakes can be caught with a net and used for seasonal DIY recipes.
These recipes can be collected by popping present balloons with a slingshot throughout winter. Recipes that require snowflakes include the Iceberg Wall, Iceberg Flooring, Ski-Slope Wall, Ski-Slope Flooring, Falling-Snow Wall, Snowflake Pochette, and Snowflake Wreath. As of the final update, the Frozen Fence and Frozen Floor Tile DIYs were also added, so even long-time DIY collectorsmay make new discoveries.
8Master The Art Of Snowboys
Snowboys Are Picky But Useful Visitors
During seasonal snow inAnimal Crossing, two snowballs will appear on the ground. Rolling these snowballs together will create a Snowboy with a varying degree of gratitude. Creating a perfectly proportioned Snowboy may take practice, but all the passive-aggressive comments are worth it.
Perfectly crafted Snowboys reward players with a Big Snowflake each day until they melt, as well as a unique DIY recipe to use them with. There are 16 of these recipes including the Frozen Arc, Frozen Pillar, Frozen Counter, and Three-Tiered Snowperson. The game’s final update also added the Frozen Mini-Snowperson, which is enough incentive for veteran players to create their 16th perfect Snowboy if they have not already.
7Gather Ornaments And Craft Festive DIY Recipes
Make Shiny Items For Islanders To Enjoy
For those who don’t have many cedar trees on their island, it may be a good time to start planting them. Starting December 15th, Isabelle will decorate every cedar tree on the island with yellow, blue, and red ball ornaments. Until January 6th, these ornaments can be shaken out of the trees and used for 18 different recipes that can be found by shooting down floating present balloons.
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As several of these recipes will also require hardwood, it is advised to use a flimsy axe to avoid chopping down the decorated trees. The final update also added 5 new recipes which include the Ornament Crown, Giant Ornament, Ornament Garland, Ornament Table Lamp, and Ornament Tree.
6Observe The Aurora Borealis During Winter Solstice
The Gorgeous Lights Are Worth The Wait
Starting December 15th, the Aurora Wall and Midwinter Sweater can be purchased from Nook Shopping as part of the Winter Solstice event in the Northern Hemisphere. The solstice officially brings about the beginning of winter, which means that auroras may be observed in the night sky.
One of the rarest weather conditions in New Horizons, an aurora has a chance of appearing between 7PM to 4AM on clear nights with no shooting stars. On nights when auroras may appear, Isabelle will make a comment about it during her morning announcements, and villagers will also discuss the phenomena.
5Wish Happy Birthday To Sagittarius And Capricorn Villagers
Birthday Parties Are Festive Fun For Everyone
As there are villager birthdays every single day of the year,many of the 400 villagersin New Horizons are Sagittarius (November 22nd to December 21st) or Capricorn (December 22nd to January 20th). Birthday villagers will throw a party at their house on their big day and graciously accept any presents players may have for them.
The next day, villagers will in return send players a thank-you note in the mail often accompanied by a gift of their own. Some well-known villagers celebrating in December include Sprocket on the 1st, Bianca on the 13th, and Fang on the 18th. Isabelle’s birthday is on the 20th, but she is unfortunately too tied up with work to celebrate.
4Get Cozy At The Roost
Brewster Always Loves The Company
Sitting down for a hot cup of coffee is nice all year round, but the experience during the wintertime at The Roost is all the more cozy. As usual, consistent visits to The Roost will result in Brewster rewarding players with coffee beans,coffee-themed DIY recipes,and the occasional offer of pigeon milk.
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If not enough friends can gather online for a full-fledged holiday party, a cozy coffee with a few friends at The Roost is an excellent alternative. The last player to sit down will have the option to buy drinks for everyone at the table or have everyone pay for their own. Brewster will also wish players a Happy Toy Day on the 24th.
3Check Out The Able Sisters' Holiday Offerings
Holiday Deals Exist inAnimal CrossingToo
Starting December 1st,the Able Sistersstart to sell festive clothing in anticipation of Toy Day, including the prestigious Santa clothing. Completing the Santa collection costs just over 8,000 bells and consists of buying the Santa Hat, Santa Coat, Santa Pants, and Santa Beard.
Different pieces from the Santa collection are available throughout December, but the full outfit is available for purchase on Toy Day. Other holiday clothes that appear during December include the Holiday Sweater, Festive Dress, Reindeer Costume, and Reindeer Hat. Gift these items to villagers to create an army of Santa’s helpers!
2Help Out Jingle On Toy Day
The Black-Nosed Reindeer Needs A Holiday Miracle
Toprepare for Toy Day, it is recommended that players start their holiday shopping as soon as Toys become available at Nook’s Cranny on December 1st. On December 24th, Jingle the Black-Nosed Reindeer visits the island and needs the player’s help to make wrapping paper. Even if the player already has it, he will give out the Festive Wrapping Paper DIY, which requires one ornament of each color.
Once three of these are given to Jingle, he will lend players his magic bag to deliver Toy Day presents to villagers. Once the villagers all have their presents, Jingle will give players Toy Day Stockings, a Toy Day Sleigh, and a DIY Recipe for a Gift Pile. If the Toy Say Stocking is hung in the player’s home overnight, they can receive Jingle’s Photo the next morning!
1Ring In The New Year At Resident Services
This Countdown Is Cuter Than Most
For those who are looking for a personalized countdown to play on New Year’s Eve, look no further thanAnimal Crossing! From December 26th to 31st, traditional New Year’s foods are available on Nook Shopping, including a very classy glass of Sparkling Cider. On December 31st, Isabelle and Tom Nook will close Resident Services to ring in the New Year with the rest of the island.
In addition, Isabelle will give the player a Light Stick to wave during the countdown, while Tom Nook sells Party Poppers and New Year’s Silk Hats. Players who leave the game on all night long will have a chance to see the New Year sunrise–the only time of year when the sun can be viewed directly.
